Verkhovna Rada Voted for Healthcare Reform at the Fourth Time of Asking

Translated by Ollie Richardson

15:34:5908/06/2017

Parliament at the fourth attempt managed to vote at the first reading for the healthcare reform of Ulana Suprun. 227 Deputies voted for it.

This has left many Deputies who didn’t support the reform indignant. They stated that it is impossible to vote for the same bill four times. In addition, representatives of the “Opposition Bloc” accused representatives of the coalition of shadow voting [voting on another Deputy’s behalf – ed] to push reform through.

The was stated also by the Radical party. “The vote for healthcare reform was forged. At least three People’s Deputies whose voting cards are absent in the hall: Vitko, Girshfeld, Mikitas,” wrote the People’s Deputy from the Radical party Andrey Lozovoy on Facebook.

The bill was opposed also by a part of the Deputies from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko. In particular, the head of the Healthcare Committee Olga Bogomolets, and also the former Minister of Health Oleg Musiy. Musiy said that this reform, which his colleagues from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko voted for, will lead to the “deaths of 20 million Ukrainians”.

As a reminder, earlier Deputies were unable to accept healthcare reform during three attempts.